Wonderland Trail 2010

[MOWGLI]

My buddy just sent me an e-mail and said that his wife had given him a "kitchen pass" to hike the Wonderland Trail in 2010.

Looks like I got the same pass. Wonderland Trail in 2010 or bust!

[Kerosene]

Okay, by rubbing it in you now have to commit to posting a detailed trip report!

My best guess for when I'll get the chance to circumnavigate Ranier is somewhere between 2016-2020.

[Sly]

I've heard it's a great trail. Only takes about a week.

[MOWGLI]

Okay, by rubbing it in you now have to commit to posting a detailed trip report!

Will do!

I've heard it's a great trail. Only takes about a week.

93 miles. Sounds about right!

[Feral Bill]

I've heard it's a great trail. Only takes about a week.

Take more time, two weeks even. This is a tough trail with 25,000 feet of climb and the same of descent. The tread is not great in places as well. More importantly, it would be a shame to rush such a fabulous trip. The scenery just does not stop. When I do this one again, I'll go in fall, with berries and without bugs.

PM with any specific questions.

Have fun!

FB

The picture is my daughter and me at Indian Bar, 2000.

[yappy]

it is an awesome trail... go in the Fall, you will have it mostly to yourself. Sweet. A week is perfect, for me at least.

[Sly]

A week is perfect, for me at least.

OK, that says it all Jeff, probably should plan longer than a week. Yappy is like the energizer bunny.

[chris]

Four days and a wake up is about right for the WT. It does go up and down, but it is a trail. There are some good views, but there is also a fair amount of time spent in the trees. I'm not sure if the trail has been brought back completely from the wash outs two years ago and you might still have some road walking to do (the park is busy building things like visitor's centers). Personally, I'd do something else in WA, like the Bailey Traverse or the Alpine Lakes High Route or a 200 mile loop in the Pasayten Wilderness. Check out

http://cwillett.imathas.com/local/bailey/index.html

for info and photos on the Bailey. You can scramble a lot of peaks if you're so inclined. I did it in 4.5 days, but if you stop for peaks 7 days is a better idea.

[yappy]

lol.. hey, I could said 4 nights and an out like Chris ! if a person had extra time after the WT they could head down to Hood and do that loop. That is a nice hike too.

[Feral Bill]

I met a person doing the WT in five days. Thats close to 20 miles with 5000 feet each day. I know it is possible for the very fit, but I still think it is a bad idea for most. At present I think thet there is a four mile stretch of road walking, and some short bushwhack detours.

A (shorter) loop in the Pasayten Wilderness is tempting.

[chris]

lol.. hey, I could said 4 nights and an out like Chris ! if a person had extra time after the WT they could head down to Hood and do that loop. That is a nice hike too.

The Timberline Trail around Hood is also good. Two days and a morning is all you need, so a long weekend hike it very doable (I think its about 40 miles). I hiked this a couple of years back:

http://cwillett.imathas.com/local/timberline/index.html

[MOWGLI]

Four days and a wake up is about right for the WT. It does go up and down, but it is a trail. There are some good views, but there is also a fair amount of time spent in the trees. I'm not sure if the trail has been brought back completely from the wash outs two years ago and you might still have some road walking to do (the park is busy building things like visitor's centers). Personally, I'd do something else in WA, like the Bailey Traverse or the Alpine Lakes High Route or a 200 mile loop in the Pasayten Wilderness. Check out

http://cwillett.imathas.com/local/bailey/index.html

for info and photos on the Bailey. You can scramble a lot of peaks if you're so inclined. I did it in 4.5 days, but if you stop for peaks 7 days is a better idea.

Great photos Chris. Thanks for sharing.

[Dogwood]

Hey, thanx for the trip reports Chris! Really enjoyed hearing about them! Your friend Daris quote, "life isn't all about coke and hookers" is the best I've heard all day! Especially when I read it while also looking at the pic of you in the parking lot with the cig clenched between the teeth!

[yappy]

yeah, Hood is just a night or 2 out. A great weekend trip. there is also the kettle crest trail in Curlew Wa. it is about 40 miles too I think. pretty area. you want to know another good one ? it is a secret though.. so I am gonna whisper.. the snake river canyon trail outta Imnaha Wa.. What a gorgeous hike. there is NOONE on that puppy.. really pretty.

[sarbar]

Hood still has a section blow out that is a no-no to get caught in. Yes, people do it and yes, you would be taking a major risk being in the blow out physically.

As for the WT...sure you can do it in shorter days....but in truth, why? We did it in 7 days. It isn't the miles, rather the elevation that will get you (around 26K gain and 26K loss total) in those 90 some miles.

The only flat places in Rainier I have decided over the years are Grand Park's 3 miles and the top of Burroughs 1


But hey, if you do it short....you could tack on a section of the PCT (which I might add runs only a couple miles away as the crow flies). The section between White Pass and Chinook Pass is some of the prettiest miles in Washington. Now on the PCT doing 20 miles a day is not hard - the trail was built for horsies - unlike the WT that often does a 20% grade.



As for trail repairs....the WT gets blow outs yearly from late fall storms (this year was no exception either). Usually by late June they have all the bridges repaired and they will hack in a repair job.

The corner down at Ipsuit Creek stays closed though - the blowout of '06 was not fixed and the road was turned into a trail for the 4.5 miles to Ipsuit Creek campground - now a backcountry camping area. Alas, the late fall storms of '08 (a Pineapple Express) blew out the county road before you get to the park's boundary. The county closed the road due to instability. The WT in this corner was blown out in late '06, you use the trail on the other side of the Carbon River if you are coming down Ipsuit Pass from Mowhich Lake (the other trail is part of The Northern Loop). In truth, it is just easier now to go via Seattle/Spray Parks (which is much prettier anyways!). The trail blowout was fixed between Box Canyon and Louise Lake last summer, but it has some new issues now. Most likely it will be fixed this summer.

Rainier fixes their messes quite fast so if a blowout happens this coming fall/winter...don't sweat it! And if you do get up here, drop me a note - I live pretty close to Sunrise - one of the reasons I am often up at Tahoma.

[Dogwood]

Sarbar, that's a great elev. profile for the WT. Can't quite read the x and y axis units though. Now, that's an up up up and a down down down and an up up up and a down down down and an up up up and a down down down and a .....trail!

[StarLyte]

Hey Mowgli - congrats!

Mark Hudson "Skeeter" - did this trail in 2006, also did a presentation with a DVD slideshow on the WT at the PA Ruck last year.

I emailed him already and told him you're hiking it. ([email protected])

Have fun!

[sarbar]

Sarbar, that's a great elev. profile for the WT. Can't quite read the x and y axis units though. Now, that's an up up up and a down down down and an up up up and a down down down and an up up up and a down down down and a .....trail!

Oops! It is small It shows between 2,000 and 7,000 ft on the left and 0 miles and 93 miles on the bottom.

A roller coaster it is! Particularly the "pie crust" on the West side

[Summit]

I did it in 9 days and wouldn't recommend much less time. I wasn't in great shape when I started, but I was when I finished. The scenery is far too breathtaking to be busting out consecutive 20+ mile days.

[Blissful]

We're goin' this summer in that area, but don't have the time to hike the trail unfortunately, but it looks superb. Great photos.